To celebrate SCAD’s 40th anniversary, SCAD fashion and fibers students collaborated with designer Heidi Elnora to create appliques for a wedding dress presented in the SCAD 2019 Savannah and Atlanta fashion shows. With over 200+ applicants, 12 works were chosen to be a part of this wedding dress. 

Students were asked to create a piece stating what SCAD meant to them, so I wanted to focus my design on the impact the SCAD community has had on me. The five circles involving the open rhinestone outline represent SCAD’s five schools. The four solid-colored circles represent SCAD’s schools in Lacoste, Hong Kong, Atlanta, and e-Learning, and the largest circle represents Savannah, as it is the original and founding SCAD location. 

Although the circles look complete, the rhinestones are spaced out further than other beads, reflecting the expansion and inclusivity of SCAD. Although separated by their color palettes, the circles interconnect to represent the ties and partnerships each school has with the others. From the start of my freshman year, I discovered a community within my dorm building. This later led to finding communities in my classes, in the residence life, in the city, and in the business world. Each of these communities provided support in some of my hardest moments as well as celebrated some of my greatest. Without the people I have met within SCAD, I do not think I would have been able to grow to the extent I have, both as an artist and as an individual. The opportunity to offer SCAD this swatch is a way of recognizing all the community has provided me is truly a blessing that I am eternally grateful for.